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[Teddy]

Does anyone have any experience with a blasto mass being "encapsulated". We took our dog Ted to the UofM last week, concerned about a mass that is not shrinking in his lung/rib area. The "fungal cloud" is diminishing but now this is a more defined, denser mass . We have been treating his Blasto since last September and in fact he has been almost symptom free since the end of November. We've felt really lucky about how well Ted responded and seemingly recovered.

 Except...very recently, he's developed this "gagging"cough so we took him for xray. The local vet feared it was cancer and wanted a biopsy done but because of the proximity to his heart and a rib, he didn't feel equipped to take a sample and deal with any possible complications...bleeds or lung puncture. So we went to the University. They're feeling based on the digital xray's is that it is a mass of Blasto encapsulated and want to continue with his Intra hoping it will shrink. At the same time they suggested the darn thing might never go away with meds and it may have to be surgically removed or he might simply be on meds forever and live with the mass.

Has anyone ever had a mass or heard of Blasto being encapsulated? And did it work itself out?
Jen

[Cathy, Bailey and Duke]

Duke had a abscessed Blasto mass on his abdomen last year. I kept getting bigger until it started leaking. The Dr's never mentioned "encapsulated" though. When the test results came back as Blasto again (he had it the year befor in his lungs), he was put on Itraconazole again and with in a few weeks the mass went away. Of course he was on the Itra quite a while longer.
  The Dr wasn't sure how he got this, but suggested he might have gotten a sliver of wood with blasto in the area of his abdomen.

[carolh]

Jen,

I have never heard of this encapsulated blasto so please keep us posted on all you learn.  Such good information for the blasto board, information that may help others.  SO SORRY Duke is not doing as well.  Fingers and toes are crossed for him.
 Had you stopped the itra before this new development?
Carol

[Cathy, Bailey and Duke]

Jen, Duke is good now, no Blasto. This was a year ago. Thanks for the good wishes though.

[Wilson3]

Boy Jen,that is a tough one...
has any of the vets talked about the dose ,maybe changing it or a different type?
this kind of reminds me of Marge and her foot that just would not heal.
Maybe some holistic vetting

Please always remember anything is possible and BELIEVE it will go away truely believe it keep the positive healing in mind and heart always
Teddy and your family will as always be in my thoughts
Wilson3

[Teddy]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone,
We've not changed his dosage and the theraputic levels are good although, increasing the dose has occured to us. I'll talk to the vet about changing his script perhaps. Ted has developed a few lesions in the past few days and we're seeing the vet Friday. He won't leave them alone and I am not sure what to put on them. I know I have read here that leaving them exposed to the air is important but the licking is really aggrevating them. I have searched all over the web about "encapsulated" blasto and have not found anything about it in the lungs?? Was really hoping someone here had some experience with it. Ugg!I have read a little about it "encapsulating" in a lesion. I'll let everyone know as we learn more.
Jen.

[evayola]

I am sorry that poor Ted is still going through this! Marge only had 2 lesions and she could not reach them so I dont know exactly what to do about those. I know plenty here have had experience with the lesions so hopefully somebody can give you some ideas. As far as the encapsulated blasto, I have never heard of that either. However with Marges blasto being buried so deeply in her bones I am sure it is along the same lines. We kicked Marges dosage up to the high level and kept her there for 3 months with regular liver/kidney testing. We rexrayed and found that the blasto was nearly gone. Since then she has been dropped down to a normal dose everyday and then every other day and now we are at every three days until May. It seems as though the spike in itra dosage really helped get rid of it in her bone. Do you have Ted on a high dosage and what are the vets thinking about bumping it up? Has he been tolerating the itra well? Hang in there Jen- we are all here to help!
Hugs and st bernard drool for you both,
Eva

[Wilson3]

so how is Teddy?
wilson3

[Teddy]

Hi Kristen,
Teddy is doing about the same, he still has the "gagging" coughing response and we are going to keep treating with his meds at the same med level for the moment. He'll go back to the U at the two month mark to compare the mass in his lung. He looks good and seems symptom free right now, his energy level has not been this good in a very long time! 
The lesions he presented with last week are very curious not at all like the leasions when he first got sick. The vet said it is very unusual for a dog to present with Blasto lesions this far into a continued treatment. The spots in his armpit and his beard area, under the microscope, appear to be a staf infection. They do not resemble Blasto at all according to our vet.
Because the vet does not want to compromise Ted's Intraconozole treatment he does not want to put him on an antibiotic and steriod to treat as they very often work against one another making the dog sick. He really feels that this whole thing is due to a weak immune system.  Right now we are flushing with Dermacore and applying a topical  Gentamicin. They seem to be drying up, but they are still Nasty, with a capital N! I continue to worry about this thing in his lung, I sure would like to know definatively what it is.
It's spring here, we're cleaning the yard, moving out any dead stuff laying around...and I'm looking for the fungus amoung us! All I can keep thinking is thank god Chuck and the dog are still on the meds...at least they're safe for now!!
No,...I'm not paranoid!

[Wilson3]

how about putting Teddy on an immune booster?
also the clay I used on Wilson will work on that also if used right just a thought
it is time consuming to use but does work
i am so happy that your hubby is doing better and niece
teddy to he will get over this just hit a loop nothing that can not be beaten you guys made it this far and that is more then 1/2 the battle so chin up enjoy spring and Teddy only positive energy to be sent out to the universe on teddy getting over this 100%
kristin

[mhitesman]

A year or so after Comet's itraconazole (generic) treatment ended, he developed  a sore back, it seemed.  He had an MRI done at U of NC.  They were relieved to find he had an disc issue and NOT encapsulated blasto -- the biggest worry.  According to those folks, blasto is very hard to kill (as we all know!) and can build cyst-like walls around itself, re-emerging at a much later date...or never.

Right now, my Comet has had 3 surgeries in the past 3 weeks, starting with benign, round-cell tumors, then aural hematomas. His left (remaining) eye is weeping a little, and I just had another blasto test done because this is EXACTLY the path we went down when he got blasto in 2007.